Revista mexicana de biodiversidad ISSN: 1870-3453 ISSN: 2007-8706 Instituto de Biología

Cortés-Useche, Camilo; Calle-Triviño, Johanna; Sellares- Blasco, Rita; Luis-Báez, Alido; Arias-González, Jesús Ernesto An updated checklist of the reef fishes of the Southeastern Reefs Marine Sanctuary of the Dominican Republic Revista mexicana de biodiversidad, vol. 89, no. 2, 2018, pp. 382-392 Instituto de Biología

DOI: 10.22201/ib.20078706e.2018.2.2149

Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=42559305007

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Rev.Mex.Biodivers. 89 (2018): 382-392

Taxonomy and systematics

An updated checklist of the reef fishes of the Southeastern Reefs Marine Sanctuary of the Dominican Republic

Lista actualizada de los peces arrecifales del Santuario Marino Arrecifes del Sureste, República Dominicana

Camilo Cortés-Useche a, b, *, Johanna Calle-Triviño a, b, Rita Sellares-Blasco b, Alido Luis-Báez b y Jesús Ernesto Arias-González a a Laboratorio de Ecología de Ecosistemas de Arrecifes Coralinos, Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Unidad Mérida, Antigua Carretera a Progreso Km 6, B.P. 73 Cordemex, 97310 Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico b Centro de Estudios Marinos y Costeros, Fundación Dominicana de Estudios Marinos, Calle Federico Rijo # 6, Bayahibe, Dominican Republic

*Corresponding author: [email protected] (C. Cortés-Useche)

Received: 23 February 2017; accepted: 3 noviembre 2017

Abstract This work presents an updated taxonomic list of the fish fauna of the coral reefs in the Southeastern Reefs Marine Sanctuary (SMASE) in the Dominican Republic. The inventory is the result of 360 visual surveys of coral reefs during the period 2013-2016. We recorded 150 from 86 genera and 47 families, including 14 new records for the southeast coastline of the Dominican Republic. The families of fishes with the highest species number comprised (16 species), Haemulidae (12 species) and (10 species).

Key words: Coral reefs; Biodiversity; Caribbean; Ichthyofauna, Marine Protected Area

Resumen En este trabajo se presenta una lista taxonómica actualizada de la ictiofauna para los arrecifes de coral del Santuario Marino Arrecifes del Sureste (SMASE) en República Dominicana. El inventario es resultado de 360 censos visuales realizados en los arrecifes coralinos entre 2013 y 2016. Se incluyen 150 especies, pertenecientes a 86 géneros y 47 familias, conteniendo 14 nuevos registros para la costa sureste dominicana. Las familias de peces con mayor número de especies fueron Serranidae (16 especies), Haemulidae (12 especies) y Pomacentridae (10 especies).

Palabras clave: Arrecifes coralinos; Biodiversidad; Caribe; Ictiofauna; Área Marina Protegida

Introduction patches (Geraldes, 2003). The region forms part of the Southeastern Reefs Marine Sanctuary (SMASE), covering The southeastern (SE) reefs of the Dominican Republic an area of 7,855.31 km2. In 2009, this region was declared are located along the coast of Hispaniola, in the Caribbean a Protected Marine Area by Dominican Government Sea. These reefs are distributed along a semi-continuous Decree 571-09 to conserve the natural habitat and unique fringing reef dominated by the rocky and coral substrate environment that exists along the continental shelf on the and are fringing reefs with some small and dispersed coral SE part of the island (SINAP, 2014). Additionally, this

ISSN versión electrónica: 2007-8706; Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Biología. Open Access bajo la licencia CC BY-NC-ND (4.0) https://doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2018.2.2149 C. Cortés-Useche et al. / Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 89 (2018): 382-392 383 https://doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2018.2.2149

region is regarded as an area of great importance due to its Vega, 2004). This area is characterized by shallow sand biodiversity, its variety of marine and coastal ecosystems banks, meadows of sea grasses, and coral reefs. To the (mangrove, sea grasses, rocky/sandy beaches, coral reefs), southeast of Saona Island, there are fringing reefs with a and its economic value, which originates from coastal and deeper and wider shelf, where beds are mixed with low- touristic development (Vargas, 2011). lying hard corals and sea grasses (Chiappone, 2001; Vega Several studies of fish fauna have been conducted in et al., 1997). the area; Williams et al. (1983) provided the first checklist The study site was a 35 Km section of the coastline of 172 marine fishes of the south coast of Dominican located between the eastern portion of Catalina Island and Republic. Another study reported the abundance of fishes the southern part of Saona Island. Expeditions were carried in shallow (algal/seagrass) habitats (León et al., 1996). out from 2013-2016. A total of 360 visual surveys were Bustamante et al. (1998) and Chiappone et al. (1998) conducted (daytime, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.) via the provided information about reef fish assemblages. More Roving Diver Technique (RDT), in the RDT method trained recently, Schmitt et al. (2002) listed a total of 125 species SCUBA divers swim around the reef site approximately in 36 families of reef fishes in 4 reefs (Dominicus Reef, La 30-45 minutes recording all fish species observed (REEF, Raya, Rubén, and El Toro) of the SE Dominican Republic. 2008). In this manner, 10 fringing reefs on the SE coast However, little data has been gathered about the overall were selected for sampling by geographical location, the marine biodiversity, and there is a lack of information east-west location, reef and depth (< 15 m of depth) about the fish fauna in particular. (Table 1). In this work, we generated an updated checklist of fish The individuals observed were identified following fauna associated with the coral formations of the SMASE. the Cervigón et al. (1992), Humann and Deloach (2002) The checklist was based on field surveys and including and Robertson et al. (2016) identification guides and the reefs of Catalina Island (La Pared) and adjacent to were systematically ordered according to FishBase the municipality of Bayahibe (Coralina, Atlantic Princess, criteria (Froese & Pauly, 2016). For interpretation of the Magallán, and Pepito I and II) for the first time. biogeographic affinities of the species, analysis of the following regions in Eschmeyer and Fricke’s catalog of Materials and methods fishes (2016) was used: WA = Western Atlantic, EA = Eastern Atlantic, CIRC = Circumtropical, and IS = Invasive The SMASE is formed by a reef system located near species (De Freitas & Lotufo, 2014). the SE part of the island Hispaniola (SINAP, 2014), between 18°22’9” - 18°11’4” N, 68°51’9” - 68°38’15” Results W (Fig. 1). This region is part of the Central Province of the Greater Caribbean; the area is located between Saona A total of 150 species of reef fishes from 86 genera Island in the Cotubanama National Park and east of Puerto and 47 families were observed in the transects (Table 2). Rico, where the Mona Passage is located (Geraldes & Table 1 Sites of study (visual surveys) of fish associated with coral reefs in the SMASE. Geographical coordinates (decimal degrees) and depths (m) are included. Reef Latitude (N) Longitude (W) Depth 1. La Pared 18º15’28.8” 68º46’55.2” 6 2. Coralina 18º22’12” 68º50’49.2” 4 3. Atlantic Princess 18º22’8.4” 68º51’7.2” 13 4. Magallán 18º21’43.2” 68º50’45.6” 13 5. Pepito I 18º20’42” 68º49’58.8” 14 6. Pepito II 18º20’34.8” 68º49’48” 14 7. Dominicus Reef 18º20’34.8” 68º49’58.8” 13 8. El Peñón 18º15’10.8” 68º46’44.4” 13 Figure 1. Geographic location of the SMASE in the Dominican 9. Punta Cacón 18º10’37.2” 68º47’31.2” 14 Republic. Each number corresponds to 1 of the 10 selected reefs under study (Table 1). 10. Cayo Ratón 18º11’42” 68º38’13.2” 4 384 C. Cortés-Useche et al. / Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 89 (2018): 382-392 https://doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2018.2.2149

Table 2 Taxonomic list of fish fauna observed in the SMASE coral reefs of La Pared (LP), Coralina (C), Atlantic Princess (AP), Magallán (M), Pepito I (PI), Pepito II (PII), Dominicus Reef (DR), El Peñón (EP), Punta Cacón (PC), and Cayo Ratón (CR). An * indicates a new record for the area. Order, family and species Order Anguiliformes Family Congridae Hetecoconger longissimus (Günther, 1870) C, LP, PII Family Muraenidae Echidna catenata (Bloch, 1795) EP, PC Gymnothorax funebris (Ranzani, 1839) AP, PI, PII Gymnothorax miliaris (Kaup, 1856) EP, PII Gymnothorax moringa (Cuvier, 1829) EP, LP Gymnothorax vincinus (Castelnau, 1855) EP Family Ophichthidae Myrichthys breviceps (Richardson, 1848) DR Order Aulopiformes Family Synodontidae Synodus foetens (Linnaeus, 1766) EP, CR, PII Synodus intermedius (Spix & Agassiz, 1829) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, M, PI, PII Order Beloniformes Family Belonidae Ablennes hians (Valenciennes, 1846) C, M Family Hemiramphidae *Hemiramphus balao (Lesueur, 1821) EP, C, AP *Hemiramphus brasiliensis (Linnaeus, 1758) EP, PC, DR, AP, M, PI Order Family Myripristis jacobus (Cuvier, 1829) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, CR, PI coruscum (Poey, 1860) EP, PC, DR, AP, LP, M, PI, PII Order Lophiiformes Family Antennariidae Antennarius multiocellatus (Valenciennes, 1837) EP Order Myliobatiformes Family Dasyatidae Dasyatis americana (Hildebrand & Schroeder, 1928) EP, PII Family Myliobatidae Aetobatus narinari (Euphrasen, 1790) DR, M, PI, PII Family Urotrygonidae Urobatis jamaicensis (Cuvier, 1816) EP, PC, CR Order Orectolobiformes Family Ginglymostoma cirratum (Bonnaterre, 1788) PC, CR C. Cortés-Useche et al. / Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 89 (2018): 382-392 385 https://doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2018.2.2149

Table 2 Continues. Order, family and species Order Family Acanthuridae Acanthurus bahianus (Castelnau, 1855) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, CR, M, PI Acanthurus chirurgus (Bloch, 1787) EP, DR, C, LP, CR Acanthurus coeruleus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, CR, M, PI Family stellatus (Cope, 1867) PC, C, CR Family Carangidae Caranx bartholomaei (Cuvier, 1833) PI, PII Caranx ruber (Bloch, 1793) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, CR, PII *Seriola dumerili (Risso, 1810) M Trachinotus blochii (Lacepède, 1801) EP, PC, CR, PI, PII Family spinosa (Metzelaar, 1919) EP, PC, DR, AP, LP, CR, M, PI *Emblemariopsis sp. (Longley, 1927) DR Family Chaetodontidae Chaetodon aculeatus (Poey, 1860) PC, DR, C, AP, PII Chaetodon capistratus (Linnaeus, 1758) CR, PII Chaetodon ocellatus (Bloch, 1787) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, CR, M, PI, PII Chaetodon sedentarius (Poey, 1860) EP, PC, DR Chaetodon striatus (Linnaeus, 1758) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, CR, M, PI Family Cirrhitidae Amblycirrhitus pinos (Mowbray, 1927) C, CR Family Echeneidae Echeneis naucrates (Linnaeus, 1758) PI, PII Family Gobiidae Coryphopterus personatus (Jordan & Thompson, 1905) EP, PC, DR, AP, LP, M, PI, PII Elacatinus prochilos (Böhlke & Robins, 1968) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP Family Haemulidae Anisotremus surinamensis (Bloch, 1791) AP Anisotremus virginicus (Linnaeus, 1758) DR, AP, PII Haemulon album (Cuvier, 1830) EP, DR, C, AP, LP, CR, M, PI, PII Haemulon aurolineatum (Cuvier, 1830) PC, AP, PII Haemulon carbonarium (Poey, 1860) EP, PC, DR, AP, PI Haemulon chrysargyreum (Günther, 1859) EP, C, CR, PII Haemulon flavolineatum (Desmarest, 1823) EP, DR, C, AP, LP, M Haemulon macrostomum (Günther, 1859) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, CR, M, PI, PII Haemulon melanurum (Linnaeus, 1758) EP, DR, LP *Haemulon parra (Desmarest, 1823) EP, DR Haemulon plumieri (Lacepède, 1801) EP, DR, PII 386 C. Cortés-Useche et al. / Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 89 (2018): 382-392 https://doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2018.2.2149

Table 2 Continues. Order, family and species Haemulon sciurus (Shaw, 1803) EP, DR, AP, CR, PII Family Kyphosidae Kyphosus sp. (Lacepède, 1801) EP, PC, DR Family Labridae Bodianus rufus (Linnaeus, 1758) CR, PII Clepticus parrae (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) EP, PC, DR, AP, LP, M, PI Halichoeres bivitattus (Bloch, 1791) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, CR, PII Halichoeres garnoti (Valenciennes, 1839) EP, C, LP, PII Halichoeres radiatus (Linnaeus, 1758) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, CR, PI, PII Lachnolaimus maximus (Walbaum, 1792) EP, C Thalassoma bifasciatum (Bloch, 1791) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, CR, M, PI Family Labrisomidae Malacoctenus triangulatus (Springer, 1959) EP Family Lutjanidae Lutjanus analis (Cuvier, 1828) PC, AP Lutjanus apodus (Walbaum, 1792) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, CR *Lutjanus cyanopterus (Cuvier, 1828) EP Lutjanus griseus (Linnaeus, 1758) EP, PC, CR Lutjanus jocu (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) EP, C, AP Lutjanus mahogoni (Cuvier, 1828) EP, DR, C, AP, M, PI, PII Lutjanus synagris (Linnaeus, 1758) EP, DR, AP, M, PII Ocyurus chrysurus (Bloch, 1791) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LO, DR, PI Family Malacanthidae Malacanthus plumieri (Bloch, 1786) EP, PC, PI, PII Family Mullidae Mulloidichtys martinicus (Cuvier, 1829) EP, PC, DR, AP, LP, PI, PII Pseudupeneus maculatus (Bloch, 1793) EP, PC, DR, AP, CR, PI, PII Family Opistognathidae * (Silvester, 1915) C, LP, CR Opistognathus aurifrons (Jordan & Thompson, 1905) EP, DR Family Pomacanthidae Holacanthus ciliaris (Linnaeus, 1758) EP, DR Holacanthus tricolor (Bloch, 1795) CR adscensionis (Osbeck, 1765) EP, PC, DR, CR, M, PI Holocentrus rufus (Walbaum, 1792) EP, AP, CR marianus (Cuvier, 1829) EP Pomacanthus arcuatus (Linnaeus, 1758) CR Pomacanthus paru (Bloch, 1787) CR Family Pomacentridae Abudefduf saxatilis (Linnaeus, 1758) EP, C, AP, LP, CR, PII C. Cortés-Useche et al. / Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 89 (2018): 382-392 387 https://doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2018.2.2149

Table 2 Continues. Order, family and species cyanea (Poey, 1860) EP, DR, CR (Guichenot, 1853) DR (Cuvier, 1830) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, CR, M, PI, PII * adustus (Troschel, 1865) Stegastes diencaeus (Jordan & Rutter, 1897) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, CR, M, PI, PII EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, CR, M, PI Stegastes leucostictus (Müller & Troschel, 1848) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, CR, M, PI Stegastes partitus (Poey, 1868) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, CR, M, PI Stegastes planifrons (Cuvier, 1830) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, CR, M, PI Stegastes variabilis (Castelnau, 1855) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, CR, M, PI Family Priacanthidae Heteropriacanthus cruentatus (Lacepède, 1801) EP, PC, DR, PI, PII Priacanthus arenatus (Cuvier, 1829) EP Family Scaridae Scarus guacamaia (Cuvier, 1829) EP Scarus iseri (Bloch, 1789) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, CR, M, PII Scarus taeniopterus (Desmarest, 1831) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, M, PI, PII Scarus vetula (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) LP, M Sparisoma atomarium (Poey, 1861) EP, PC, DR Sparisoma aurofrenatum (Valenciennes, 1840) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, CR, M, PI Sparisoma chrysopterum (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) EP, PC, DR, C, CR, PII Sparisoma rubripinne (Valenciennes, 1840) EP, C Sparisoma viride (Bonnaterre, 1788) EP, PC, DR, AP, LP, CR, M, PI, PII Family Sciaenidae Equetus punctatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) AP, CR, M, PII Pareques acuminatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) EP, PC, DR, PI Family Scombridae Scomberomorus regalis (Bloch, 1793) C, AP, LP Family Serranidae Cephalopholis cruentata (Lacepède, 1802) EP, PC, DR, AP, LP, DR, M, PI, PII Cephalopholis fulva (Linnaeus, 1758) EP, PC, DR, AP, PII Epinephelus adscensionis (Osbeck, 1765) EP, PC Epinephelus guttatus (Linnaeus, 1758) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, CR, M, PI Epinephelus striatus (Bloch, 1792) EP, PC, DR AP, LP, PII indigo (Poey, 1851) EP Hypoplectrus puella (Cuvier, 1828) EP, PC, DR, C, PI, PII Hypoplectrus unicolor (Walbaum, 1792) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, M, PI *Mycteroperca bonaci (Poey, 1860) DR Mycteroperca tigris (Valenciennes, 1833) EP, AP Paranthias furcifer (Valenciennes, 1828) PC, AP 388 C. Cortés-Useche et al. / Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 89 (2018): 382-392 https://doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2018.2.2149

Table 2 Continues. Order, family and species Rypticus saponaceus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) EP, PC, DR, C, PII Serranus baldwini (Evermann & Marsh, 1899) EP, PII Serranus tabacarius (Cuvier, 1829) EP, PC, DR Serranus tigrinus (Bloch, 1790) EP, PC, DR, AP, LP M, PI Family Sparidae Calamus bajonado (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) EP, PC, DR Calamus calamus (Valenciennes, 1830) EP Calamus penna (Valenciennes, 1830) EP, PII Calamus pennulata (Guichenot, 1868) EP Family Sphyraenidae Sphyraena barracuda (Walbaum, 1792) EP, CR, PII Order Pleuronectiformes Family Bothidae Bothus lunatus (Linnaeus, 1758) EP, DR, C, AP, M, PII Order Scorpaeniformes Family Dactylopteridae Dactylopterus volitans (Linnaeus, 1758) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, CR, M, PI Family Scorpaenidae *Pterois volitans (Linnaeus, 1758) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, CR, M, PI Scorpaena plumieri (Bloch, 1789) EP, PC, DR Order Family Aulostomidae (Valenciennes, 1837) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, CR, M, PI Family * elucens (Poey, 1868) DR *Hippocampus reidi (Ginsburg, 1933) EP, PC, DR, AP, M * Halicampus crinitus (Jenyns, 1842) DR Order Family Balistidae Balistes vetula (Linnaeus, 1758) EP, CR, PII Canthidermis sufflamen (Mitchill, 1815) PC, PII Melichthys niger (Bloch, 1786) EP, PC, DR, PII *Balistes capriscus (Gmelin, 1789) PC, DR Family Diodontidae Diodon holocanthus (Linnaeus, 1758) EP, PC, DR, LP, PII Diodon hystrix (Linnaeus, 1758) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, PII Family Monacanthidae Aluterus schoepfii (Walbaum, 1792) C, PII Aluterus scriptus (Osbeck, 1765) EP, PC, DR, AP, M, PI, PII Cantherhines macrocerus (Hollard, 1853) EP, DR C. Cortés-Useche et al. / Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 89 (2018): 382-392 389 https://doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2018.2.2149

Table 2 Continues. Order, family and species Cantherhines pullus (Ranzani, 1842) EP Monacanthus tuckeri (Bean, 1906) M Family Lactophrys bicaudalis (Linnaeus, 1758) EP, DR, AP, PII (Linnaeus, 1758) EP, PII Lactophrys triqueter (Linnaeus, 1758) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, PI Family Tetraodontidae Acanthostracion polygonia (Poey, 1876) EP, PC, DR, AP, PII Acanthostracion quadricornis (Linnaeus, 1758) EP, PC, DR Canthigaster rostrata (Bloch, 1786) EP, PC, DR, C, AP, LP, PI Chilomycterus antennatus (Cuvier, 1816) EP, PC, DR, C, LP, CR, M, PI, PII

The greatest number of species counted in the surveys belonged to the order Perciformes, with 105 species (70%), followed by the Tetraodontiformes with 18 (12.1%) and the Anguilliformes with 7 (4.7%). Determination of the species richness indicated that the families Serranidae (16 species; 10.7%), Haemulidae (12 species; 8.1%), and Pomacentridae (10 species; 6.3%) were the most speciose. The remaining families had lower levels of species richness (< 9). Haemulon and Lutjanus, with 7 species each, were the most species-rich genera, followed by Chaetodon, Stegastes, and Sparisoma with 5 species. The genera Calamus, Scarus, and Gymnothorax, were represented by 4 species (Fig. 2), while the rest (78 genera) were represented by not more than 3 species in the area (Fig. 3). We documented 14 new records for the area of influence of the SMASE (9.4% of the total): Poey, 1868, Emblemariopsis sp. Longley, 1927, Haemulon parra Desmarest, 1823, Hemiramphus balao Lesueur, 1821, Hemiramphus brasiliensis Linnaeus, 1758, Hippocampus reidi Ginsburg, 1933, Lutjanus cyanopterus Cuvier, 1828, Halicampus crinitus Jenyns, 1842, Mycteroperca bonaci Poey, 1860, Ophioblennius macclurei Silvester, 1915, Seriola dumerili Risso, 1810, Stegastes adustus Troschel, 1865, Balistes capriscus Gmelin, 1789 and Pterois volitans Linnaeus, 1758 (Fig. 4). Figure 2. Some fish species belonging to species-rich genera in the SMASE: A) the Smallmouth grunt Haemulon chrysargyreum; Discussion B) the Princess parrotfish Scarus taeniopterus; C) the Chaetodon capistratus; D) the Green moray The list of species registered in this work constitutes Gymnothorax funebris; E) the Threespot damselfish Stegastes the first record for the reefs La Pared, Coralina, Atlantic planifrons, and F) the initial phase of the Redband parrotfish Princess, Magallán, Punta Cacón, and Pepito I and II, all Sparisoma aurofrenatum. Photos: J. Calle-Triviño (C), B. in the SE region of the Dominican Republic. Jiménez (A, D, E) and C. Cortés-Useche (B, F). 390 C. Cortés-Useche et al. / Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 89 (2018): 382-392 https://doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2018.2.2149

Figure 3. Some fish species in the SMASE: A) the Scrawled filefish Aluterus scriptus; B) the Longlure frogfish Antennarius Figure 4. Some newly recorded fish species in the SMASE: A) multiocellatus; C) the Atlantic Aulostomus the Short Cosmocampus elucens; B) the Banded pipefish maculatus; D) the Longspine squirrelfish Holocentrus rufus; Halicampus crinitus; C) the Blackhead blenny Emblemariopsis E) the Lactophrys triqueter, and F) the Yellow sp.; D) the Dusky damselfish Stegastes adustus; E) the Longsnout stingray Urobatis jamaicensis. Photos: J. Calle-Triviño (A), B. seahorse Hippocampus reidi, and F) the Red Lionfish Pterois Jiménez (B, D, E) and C. Cortés-Useche (C, F). volitans. Photos: J. Calle-Triviño (C), B. Jiménez (B, F), A. Luis-Báez (E) and C. Cortés-Useche (D). The species richness (150) is consistent with other studies, including the most represented families being (Schmitt et al., 2002). However, it is worth noting that Serranidae, Scaridae, and Haemulidae (Bustamante et the use of other sampling techniques, such as a detailed al., 1998; Schmitt et al., 2002; Williams et al., 1983). cryptic survey or rotenone collections, would increase the Additionally, most of the species observed in this study number of species recorded (Del Moral-Flores et al., 2013). (93.3%) are widely distributed in coral reefs of the tropical Nonetheless, the RDT is useful for species detection, and western Atlantic (Joyeux et al., 2001), including the Schmitt et al. (2002) concluded that it is a good sampling lionfish, which originated in the Indo-Pacific Ocean and method for achieving a better representation of the fish has widely invaded the Atlantic coast and Caribbean region community (more species) (Francisco-Ramos & Arias - (Schofield, 2009). Only 6 species present in the SMASE are González, 2013). on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation Local species richness may be related to environmental of Nature (IUCN), 5 species are assessed as vulnerable conditions and ecological relationships (e.g., topographic (Coryphopterus personatus Jordan & Thompson, 1905, complexity), with different reefs providing different Elacatinus prochilos Böhlke & Robins, 1968, Lachnolaimus amounts of habitat availability and diversity in which maximus Walbaum, 1792, Lutjanus cyanopterus fishes can feed and reproduce (Gratwicke & Speight, Cuvier, 1828, and Balistes capriscus Gmelin, 1789) 2005). These reefs present rough surfaces with holes that and 1 as endangered (Epinephelus striatus Bloch, 1792). serve as refuges, and they have substrates with complex This study recorded 150 species, which represents a structures. Furthermore, their proximity to mangroves and 17% increase in the number of species compared with the sea grasses may increase species richness (Rogers et al., most recent previous study, which identified 125 species 2014). C. Cortés-Useche et al. / Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 89 (2018): 382-392 391 https://doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2018.2.2149

This study adds 14 new records of fishes present in la ictiofauna del Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano, México. coral reefs of the SE region of the coast of the Dominican Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad, 84, 825–846. Republic. A comprehensive inventory of fish species is Eschmeyer, W. N., & Fricke, R. (2016). : genera, critical for an assessment of the biodiversity and ecological species, references. Recuperado el 09 septiembre, 2016 relationships on reefs and will play a significant role in the de: http://research.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/ conservation of endangered habitats. catalog/fishcatmain.asp/ Francisco-Ramos, V., & Arias-González, J. E. (2013) Additive partitioning of coral reef fish diversity across hierarchical Acknowledgments spatial scales throughout the Caribbean. Plos One, 8, e78761. The authors thank the staff of Dominican Foundation Froese, R., & Pauly, D. (2016). Fishbase. World Wide Web for Marine Studies and the Coral Reefs Ecosystems electronic publication. Recuperado el 09 septiembre, 2016 Ecology Laboratory of the Center for Research and de: http://www.fishbase.org/ Advanced Studies - Campus Mérida (CINVESTAV-IPN). Geraldes, F. X. (2003). The coral reefs of Dominican Republic. The authors also thank the National Council for Science In J. Cortés (Ed), Latin American coral reefs (pp. 77–110). and Technology (Conacyt ) for their valuable contribution. Amsterdam: Elsevier. Camilo Cortés-Useche thanks the mixed program grants Geraldes, F. X., & Vega, M. (2004). The coral reefs of Dominican provided by Conacyt (290936) and support of FOMIX Republic. Santo Domingo, República Dominicana: Centro de (YUC-2014-C17-247043). We thank the Ministry of Investigaciones de Biología Marina, Universidad Autónoma Environment and Natural Resources of the Dominican de Santo Domingo. Gratwicke, B., & Speight, M. R. (2005). 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